, 1887-04-28
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
yein W. Nichols. of Omaha, Relates Some
Little Known History.

OMAHA, March 81.
"! am reading with 4 great deal OF interest
Nieoay and Hays life of Lincoln in The
Century" said Mr. John W Nichols, ex-
president of the Omaha fire department, to
me. "Tne chapters that will most interest
me- will hr those relating to his career from
ISti2 % IS';5, and particularly the history of
the assassination 1t Is not generally known
that more than one attempt upon Limcolu's
lie was made il Washington, but such is the
lactS
Mr. Nichols statement interested me some
what and | asked him to explain. He then
went on and told me substantially the follow
ing story: in August, 1852, Company X,
lHjth Pennsylvania volunteers, of which Mr.
Nj hols was a member, was detailed as body
guard of President Lincoln. Up to 1864
owing to the vigilance of the guards, Mr..
Lincoln escaped all attempts at violence. The
back of the Confedera,'y was broken, a good
feeling pervaded all Washington, and vigil
auce wi.S considerably relaxed. IL was then
couspiracies We're Matched and Confederates
OverTan the city unmoiested. The president
and his family spent the summer months at
the soldiers home, about three miles north of
the city, whittier the body guard accompanied
them. 1t was the custom of the president to
remain late at the war department and after
his work was concluded he would ride on
horseback out to the home. That summer he
had persistently refused an escort imagining
HuIseif perfectly secure.
Orc night about the middle of August Mr.
nichols was doing sentinel duty at the large
gate tn the grounds of the home. About II
o'clock he heard a rifle shot, and shortly
afterward Mr.. Lincoln dashed up TO the gate
b,, l.,
an,, rs he disnIOunted he SAID, referring to his
horse: He came pretty near getting away
with me- didn't he: He got the bit in his
teeth before | could draw the REIN" Mr.
Nichols asked him where his hat was and he
replied that somebody had fired a gun off at
lie foot of the hill, and that his horse had be-
'OnIe scared and jerked his hat OIL
Thinking the affair rather strange said
ir. Nichols, "a corporal and myself went
own the hill to make an investigation. Al
t. intersection of the driveway and main
al, We found the presidents hat-a plain silk
.Ie-and upon examining it we discovered
,liiet hole through the crown The shot had
'acn fired upward, and it was evident that
lic person who fired the shot had sccr,trd
InIself close by the roadside. The next day
gave Mr.. Lincoln his hat and called his at-
rentiou to the bullet hole He remarked
't'titi uH'bittIittIll tuaJ IL was put J'lcie bN
'ome foolish gunner and was not mtenI Il fur
Iim. He said, however, that he wanted the
matter kept quiet, and admoniShed us to say
nothing about it. We felt confident that il
vas an attempt to kill him, and we'll nipL
';lccessful one, too. The affair was. of cGlirsc
kept quiet in compliance with the pre- i.icut'.
request. After that the president never rode
7iloiIen
Mr.. Nichols then went on to relate the cir
cunstances of kidnapping conspiracy
which was attempted TO be carried ont the
next fall This plan was uGlinowingIv Us
trated by the body guard, whose uunrtcl-
were Immediately i'll front of the south poFcl
If the executive mansion, euui-distaI,t he
aween that building and the treasury, state
var and navy departments. Just to de ,,.>
# the quarters was the guard tent, wi,,sc!
'ortion of the body gard remained or duty
or reasons then unknown to the -ui.rd H.
tent was moved to the west end of lie grave
walk, in the rear of the war department
Shortly afterward it was learned 10y tn,
guard that on the veTy night the tent was
moved a plan had been laid to capture the.
president as he should pas along the ak
and carry him to the house of one Gree:I.
notorious rebel, on the bank Of the Potomac
hack of the White House grounds, AMI thence
carried to Richmond and held as n no t.re
1t was always believed that the moving of the
guard tent to the west end of the wall; ri,ri.t-
cned the coHspirators and thwartcd their
design.
At another time, not long after this Incl
dent, BOurIle, the veteran coGchmIn. VIII,
had served through two adminislrat "us u,
the White House, was taken sick. A stfTn
ger from Baltimore pIiiied for the place ami
succeeded i'll securing it during the absence O.
Bourke. He did not hold the place very
long, however, as he became so domiuctiiug
and important that he was imtolcrai,
Bourke was reinStated. One might not Innp
after he had been dismissed, the disChu'.y { a
Coachman was discovered sneIkiug about the
stables, which were soon observed To be on
dire. The whole guard was called out and 10y
great exertiOns saved the presidential coach
and team, but Tad Lincom's pony and Col.
Hays carriage team perished. 1t was be
lieved that plan had been formed for this
man to fire the stables, and during the excite
nent conspirators We're to rus, into the
White House and murder the president. Mr..
Lincoln, however, rushed out with lie rest {,
the scene of the fire and thus frUytl Gtcd any
attempt at assassination. "What made thi
appear more evident, said Mr. Nichols, "wal
the fact that after the incandiary was az
rested he produced several witnesses VII,
were employed at ForCs theatre aud y j.,
testified that he (thc discharged Goa Ilu,.i,
was down in the city during the wi.oi,. even
ing on which the fire occurred These wri ,
the persons VINO, IN my opinion laid the fiUi
conspiracy that brought AhTa .Iunt i-s In t,
his grave ALEkED Sul-t--:.1N